Golden Year Twenty

1958^[1]
_______________________________

–Batman #113
A new super-villain named False Face has been pulling off successful crimes ever since Batman went into semi-retirement. False Face’s MO revolves around  kidnapping his victims and then impersonating them to commit fraud. Commissioner Gordon can’t take it anymore and calls in Batman. Batman first encounters False Face at a hotel where the villain impersonates a singer. False Face outwits Batman once, but that’s where the outwitting stops. During their second encounter, Batman kayos False Face, dresses up as False Face, and infiltrates his headquarters, fooling his henchmen in the process. Batman and Robin easily put them all behind bars. (Note that this story will be loosely adapted into a TV episode of Batman ’66!)

Bruce and Dick watch a live variety show headlined by Fatman, a corpulent comedian that wears a Batman costume and lampoons the Dark Knight. Later, Batman and Robin chase after the returning Red Mask Gang, but the crooks evade capture. The Dynamic Duo then performs at a scheduled circus appearance where they meet Fatman, who they let ride along with them as they go after the Red Mask Gang again. During the chase, the Red Masks abduct the Dynamic Duo and lock them in a barn. Despite his ostensible ineptitude and clumsiness, Fatman is able to rescue Batman and Robin and help them bust the baddies, revealing in the process that his whole clumsy act is merely a gimmick.

Confused and in a trance-like state, Batman awakes in the dead of night, hops in the Batplane, and flies off into the distance. Mid-flight, Batman has a seizure of sorts and passes out only to awaken in a cave face-to-face with a man wearing a garish yellow, pink, and purple Batman costume. The stranger introduces himself as Tlano, Batman of the Planet Zur-en-Arrh, and explains that he has teleported the Dark Knight to Zur-en-Arrh. Tlano explains further that Batman has always been his inspiration—he has been watching his career via a high-tech telescope for years—and he needs his help defeating some alien invaders. Batman quickly learns that, like Superman on Earth, he has superpowers on Zur-en-Arrh. Super-Batman flies into battle and begins fighting alien bug-men that use giant robot mechs and nuclear orbs to ravage the planet. Tlano uses a device known as the Bat-Radia to alter the molecular structure of the atmosphere surrounding the bad aliens, which gives Batman the opportunity to finish them off and send them packing for good. After saying their goodbyes, Tlano sends Batman back to Earth. Despite having been gone for hours, not even a single minute has passed on the Batplane’s clock. But the affair was definitely real since Batman clutches in his hand the now non-functional Bat-Radia. Batman returns home and puts the Bat-Radia into the Hall of Trophies.

–Batman #114 Part 1
Batman is summoned by Commissioner Gordon to retrieve an important secret formula that has been stolen from Gotham’s Science Hall. Batman chases after the notorious Professor Dodge, who in turn chases after crook Harry “Lightfingers” Hale. Dodge stole the formula, but Lightfingers stole it from him. Batman chases them both into a World’s Fair-style exhibit on the outskirts of Gotham: the gigantic Mechanical City, a fully-autonomous metropolis with a state-of-the-art transit system, police organization, and sanitation department that are each completely operated by computers and robots. After retrieving the stolen formula, Batman steps into a towering sentry robot and snatches up all the bad guys.

–Batman #114 Part 2
Famous super-villain Mirage Maker has never set foot in Gotham before. Until now. Mirage Maker uses his hologram projecting device—a machine that projects infra-red light onto millions of floating tiny sensitive filaments—to seemingly move City Bridge and rob a ship, causing Batman to drive the Batmobile into the river as well. Later, Batman and Robin confront Mirage Maker at a military compound north of Gotham, where the villain and his goons try to steal an experimental Air Force jet. Batman and Robin chase after the fleeing Mirage Maker, who shines illusion after illusion upon his pursuers to no avail. Even though Batman isn’t fooled, Mirage Maker escapes. Later, Batman shines his own Bat-themed illusion (from a makeshift projection machine) in front of Mirage Maker’s helicopter, scaring him into submission.

—^[2]

—^[3]

—^[4]

—^[5]

–Batman #115 Part 1
When the Martier Jewelry Store is robbed and the police have no leads, Batman is called in on the case. It’s not long before the Dynamic Duo tracks down thief Stoney Briggs, who has hidden the loot and now lies on his deathbed. Briggs gives a series of clues to Batman as to the whereabouts of the loot before passing on. Briggs’ ex-partners, Angles Nelson and Burly Jones, have also been given the same exact clues. Thus begins a race to capture the loot first. After the wild and violent scavenger hunt culminates in a scuffle atop a signature Dick Sprang-drawn giant typewriter, Batman and Robin take out Nelson. Following the clues, both the Dynamic Duo and Jones converge upon Chinatown. There, Batman and Robin bust Jones and retrieve the stolen jewelry.

—^[6]

—^[7]

–Batman #115 Part 3
After archeologists discover an ancient giant slingshot, watch pole, and underground huts belonging to the mysterious Zoto civilization that existed for a short time around 700 CE somewhere in the Middle East, Bruce and Dick become very interested in the Zotos. After meeting with Carter Nichols, Bruce and Dick go back in time to 700 CE to meet the Zotos. There, as Batman and Robin, they learn that the Zotos have been warring against an actual race of mythical giants that live in a nearby valley. Batman blows a large glass bottle, plants himself inside of it, and floats downriver into giant territory. There, Batman pretends to be a genie working on behalf of the Zotos. Using various modern technologies like voice amplifiers, mirrors, parade balloons, and laughing gas, genie-Batman is able to put the fear of god (or fear of the Zotos) into the race of hundred-foot-tall monster men. Before phasing back to the present, Batman leaves a dummy Batman inside the bottle to fool the giants. Back in 1958, Dick worries what will happen if archeologists discover a nearly 1300-year-old Batman dummy, but Bruce doesn’t seem concerned.

–Detective Comics #252
It was only two years ago (in Batman #104 Part 3) when the 50 Fathoms Club (with Batman’s help) hunted down and captured alive Babonga, a monstrous 150-foot-tall Godzilla-esque creature—the first of its species ever discovered. Two years later and Babonga still is an attraction held within the walls of the 50 Fathoms Club HQ and Batman still holds Babonga’s unhatched egg in the Batcave. Cut to now. Batman’s film producer pal Cory Blane is filming a movie about another supposed Babonga-like creature spotted in the Pacific–this one known locally as “Locto.” But Blane never actually expected to run across the real deal. When Locto shows up, Blane calls Batman to Skull Island for help. After Batman encounters Locto twice, the Dark Knight deduces that Locto is a giant robot being remote-controlled by someone in the cast or crew. Batman, with an aqualung, follows the creature underwater and narrowly avoids getting smashed to bits. On the shore above, Robin takes down Tod Martin, Blane’s assistant, and reveals him as the person controlling the mechanical beast. Martin was trying to scare everyone off to have sole access to a bed of rare black pearl-bearing oysters he had earlier discovered.

–Detective Comics #259
March 1958—a chalkboard in this issue tells us the date. A new super-villain calling himself Calendar Man publicly challenges Batman, claiming that he will commit five crimes in a row (one per day for the next five days), each with a seasonal theme. Batman accepts the challenge and prepares for Calendar Man, who strikes first at the International Garden Show, dressed in a flowery “spring” costume. The next day, Calendar Man, dressed in a “summer” hazmat suit, attacks a swimsuit contest that Bruce is judging. On day three, Calendar Man bests Batman with an autumn-themed wind-blower assault on Gotham. On day four, Calendar Man dresses up like a snowman for a “winter” blitz on the Dynamic Duo. Batman then realizes that Maharajah the Magician is only in town for five days and bears resemblance to Calendar Man. The jig is up. Batman and Robin bust Maharajah, who was getting ready to complete his “monsoon season” strike.

–Detective Comics #253-254
Recently, a new super-villain team known as the Terrible Trio—The Vulture, The Shark, and The Fox—has debuted and given the GCPD a headache, completing a daring heist. When the Terrible Trio strikes Gotham Bank, this time Batman is summoned out of semi-retirement. Upon arriving at the bank, the Dynamic Duo spots a bizarre burrowing machine digging an escape. Inside the machine are the Terrible Trio—The Vulture, The Fox, and The Shark—a super-villain team that chucks a bomb that nearly kills our heroes. Three days later, the Terrible Trio strikes again. The Vulture throws loot out of a plane and parachutes to his comrades below. Batman is able to scare off the Terrible Trio and then track their underground tunneler using a sonic range finder. When the Terrible Trio switches to an eel-shaped submarine in Gotham Bay, Batman and Robin are nearly electrocuted to death. A couple days later, knowing that the Terrible Trio will attempt to rob some priceless Egyptian relics from a ship in Gotham Harbor, Batman and Robin dress themselves as mummies and hide inside sarcophaguses. Sure enough, the Terrible Trio steals them. Our heroes pop out of the coffins inside the Terrible Trio’s deathtrap-filled lighthouse HQ. After fighting through various deathtraps, Batman and Robin bust the Terrible Trio.

John Wilker drops off Ace the Bat-Hound with Bruce and Dick while he goes on a short vacation. When an experimental new type of liquid explosive that is set to detonate at any moment is stolen by a hobo, Batman is summoned by Commissioner Gordon to find the bomb. With Ace’s snout leading the way, our heroes locate the hobo, but the bomb falls onto a moving train and goes missing yet again. Batman and Robin re-locate the bomb at a carnival in the hands of some boy scouts, but ex-cons Burton and Hegan take the bomb from the boys and give it to their escaped boss, Burns. After busting Burton and Hegan, Batman, Robin, and Ace bust Burns and deactivate the bomb. Wilker presumably returns and collects Ace after the case wraps.

—^[8]

–FLASHBACK: From Batman #118 Part 2. June 5, 1958. Batman is given a message via the GCPD that All-Star Circus trapeze artist Wyler wants his protection from his former partner James Lee. Batman suits up and goes to the traveling All-Star Circus and tails Lee, but eventually loses him in a crowd. Hours later, back at home, Batman receives word that Wyler has been murdered.

—^[9]

–Batman #116 Part 1
Batman and Robin go after the notorious Gimmick Gang, a trio of bandits that have been plaguing Gotham as of late. Like the Terrible Trio, these dudes have a very similar lighthouse hideout that is discovered by Batman. Soon, Batman and Robin follow the Gimmick Gang to Legend City where the annual “legendary character masquerade” is going on. In Legend City, the Gimmick Gang dresses up as Thor, a cyclops, and Pan before switching to Zeus, Medusa, and Hercules. In these costumes, they drug the Dynamic Duo with a substance that causes instant paralysis. After being given an antidote by a doctor, Batman and Robin ride a mechanical jet-powered Pegasus and easily bust the Gimmick Gang.

—^[10]

—^[11]

—^[12]

—^[13]

—^[14]

–REFERENCE: In Batman #117 Part 3. Batman may be semi-retired, but that just gives him extra time to tinker around with toys in the Batcave. Batman takes an old tool, Robin’s Rocket Roller-skates (which haven’t been used in seventeen years!), and updates them for modern times.

–Batman #117 Part 3
Welcome to the new extra sci-fi styling of Year Twenty. From this point on, be prepared for more sci-fi stuff than we’ve ever seen before on our Golden Age timeline. In this little “space manhunter” ditty, Batman and Robin chase after crook Eddie Marrow, who has stolen some atomic material. Just as Batman and Robin are about to ban Marrow, alien criminal Garr appears in a spaceship and zaps our heroes with a freeze ray. After Garr and Marrow depart for deep space, chief of the Universal Police Corps, Tutian, arrives to thaw out the Dynamic Duo and explain that his organization has been hunting Garr all over the galaxy. Traveling at light speed in a rocket ship, Batman, Robin, and Tutian follow Garr and Marrow to the remote Planetoid X, a world very similar to Earth except for its mammoth lush verdure and gigantic dinosaur-like monsters. After a wild chase through various landscapes, Batman and Robin put on their rocket-powered Bat-Skates and apprehend Garr and Marrow. Tutian drops Batman, Robin, and a cuffed Marrow back on Planet Earth.

—^[15]

—^[16]

–World’s Finest Comics #96
August 1958—the last time folks would have been at the beach in 1958. The purple-skinned alien humanoids from Planet X (not to be confused with Planetoid X where Batman and Robin have just recently visited) have grown weak and complacent thanks to an over-reliance on computer technology and enslaved robots. Wanting to enhance their own brainpower and muscle-power, the X-lings travel to Earth and unleash their deadliest creatures. Via telepathic call, Superman, Batman, and Robin are summoned to the outskirts of Metropolis. First, the heroic trio defeats a “solar sponge” by feeding it solar matter from the sun. Then they oust a raging tornado-like “storm top” by sending it shooting off into space. Then, a tiny carnivorous insect called a “crawler” uses its antennas to shrink Superman, Batman, and Robin down to two inches in height—a method it uses to temporarily turn larger beings into its prey. After trapping the crawler in a jar, the trio of heroes finally comes face-to-face with the X-lings, who trap them in force fields. Superman, Batman, and Robin quickly escape and hear the plight of their captors. The X-lings joyfully exclaim that they have learned how to think and fight before departing in their spaceship.

–Batman #118 Part 1
When a foursome of inmates, led by the notorious Gavin, escape from Gotham State Prison, Commissioner Gordon calls in Batman and Robin to help track the fugitives down. The Dynamic Duo learns that Gavin has terminal radioactivity poisoning, but Gavin is completely unaware. Tailing him to Police Island (home to the upcoming Police World’s Fair), Batman and Robin confront the fugitives inside a replica of the notorious Shark Island Prison. When Gavin and his crew gain the upper hand, Batman uses some of the World’s Fair items, including a remote controlled surveillance drone and a “magnetic disarmer,” to put the crooks behind bars. Gordon then arrives with an antidote for the radioactivity poisoning.

–Batman #118 Part 2
Three months ago, Batman was involved in the murder of All-Star Circus trapeze artist Wyler. Now Batman is called to testify in court. In court, Batman uses some unorthodox methods to prove that the accused, James Lee, is innocent of the crime. Just as the judge bangs his gavel, Lee leaps up and boastfully declares that he actually was guilty and that Batman has made an error. Under double-jeopardy laws, Lee walks a free man. An embarrassed and dejected Bruce ponders how he could have made such a grave error, but is convinced that something is amiss. Batman revisits the All-Star Circus and spots a clown leaving the scene of the crime. Batman eventually unmasks the clown as the real killer, All-Star Circus owner David Dial, who had been using his business to smuggle wanted criminals across state lines. Dial had bribed Lee to publicly say that he (Lee) was the killer in order to get Batman to not follow up on the case. That sure didn’t work.

–Batman #118 Part 3
When wanted criminals keep disappearing without a trace, the GCPD put Batman on the case. The Dynamic Duo links mobster Vince Kenton to the smuggling ring and goes after him. While they fight, Batman climbs a flagpole, which gets struck by lightning, shooting him into Gotham Harbor. After Batman fails to resurface, Robin fears he is dead. However, Batman eventually reemerges but inexplicably can no longer breathe in the open air, instead now only able to breathe underwater like a fish! Batman, wearing a specially designed water helmet, tracks Kenton to the Marine Construction Corporation, owned by evil scientist Carl Smarte. There, Batman’s helmet gets smashed and the villains escape to their secret hideout inside the Seorama Aquarium. Batman and Robin eventually defeat Smarte and Kenton at Seorama, and Batman returns to his old self. Wow this is a bizarre story. Sheesh.

—^[17]

—^[18]

—^[19]

–Batman #119 Part 2
Batman and Robin are called onto special duty to chase some diamond thieves. When the crooks are caught but the diamonds are nowhere to be found, the bad guys walk. However, AK Barnaby, Batman historian and owner of a Batman museum called Batman Island, has shot some incriminating film of the bad guys, which prompts the villains to visit him at his island. Barnaby flashes his own working replica of the Bat-Signal, which brings the Dynamic Duo to Batman Island. Batman views the incriminating film and learns that the diamonds are hidden in a truck. Batman and Robin the easily lasso up the villains and end the case.

–Batman #120 Part 1
August 1958—part of this story centers around the annual Batman Day celebration. When the Weird Crime Gang begins terrorizing Gotham, Commissioner Gordon calls Batman out of semi-retirement to tack a crack at the case. First, the Weird Crime Gang bests the Dynamic Duo at a carnival. Batman is unable to figure out anything about the gang. A few days later, the gang strikes again and bests Batman at the taping of a live TV game show. A week later and Batman still hasn’t caught the crooks. The Bat-Signal alerts the Dark Knight to a robbery at a storage warehouse. There, Batman finally catches one of the Weird Crime Gangsters, who was wielding a special melting ray gun. The small-fry says that his boss’ identity is a secret since he always wears a mask. Batman then concocts a ludicrous ruse. In disguise, he approaches another of the Weird Crime Gang’s members, Spike Connors, and offers him a supposed ancient jade ring with a Bat-insignia on it. Explaining that the ring is cursed, Batman (still in disguise) tells Connors where and how to retrieve the ring and that he should give it as a gift to Batman for the upcoming Annual Batman Day celebration. Sure enough, after mailing it to Mayor Alan Dent, Batman is gifted another key to the city and the hexed ring. At a charity event for the City Milk Fund, Batman pretends he is cursed and has an “accident.” The next day, when summoned on a case by Commissioner Gordon, Batman stumbles yet again. These dual mishaps are enough to lure the leader of the Weird Crime Gang out of hiding. Batman and Robin easily bust him.

—^[20]

–World’s Finest Comics #98
The US Government has long used Superman to secretly hurl rockets and satellites into space, so when they call upon Batman to deliver astronaut/ace pilot Brice Rogers to a secluded Superman launch site, the Dark Knight complies. Superman hurls Rogers in a rocket on a course to orbit the moon and return to Earth. However, while swinging around the moon, a Kryptonite comet passes by and turns Rogers into the Moonman! Later, at an exhibit of historic vehicles where Batman, Robin, and Superman are guests of honor, the costumed thieving Moonman strikes. Glowing with Kryptonite radiation, the Moonman’s mere presence causes Superman to grow weak in the knees. The next night, our heroes learn that Rogers turns into the Moonman every night but retains no memories of his actions in the morning. After using his magnetic and flight powers to commit a second heist and defeat our heroes, Rogers comes to realize that he is the Moonman and tries to turn himself in. Unfortunately, a gang of robbers kidnap Rogers and use him to defeat Batman and Robin yet again once night falls. In the morning, Moonman surrenders to Superman and his powers fade away completely. At night, Superman and Batman dress Rogers up as the Moonman anyway in order to have him betray and set up his robber team. Superman, Batman, Robin, and Rogers easily trick and take down the bad guys.

—^[21]

—^[22]

–Detective Comics #260
This story starts out with yet another insinuation that Bruce and Dick share a bed together each night. But since we merely see Bruce shaking Dick awake, we can assume he ran into Dick’s room from the room he shares with his wife, Selina. Awaking to an alarm in the Batcave, our heroes suit up and rush down from the mansion above to come face-to-face with blue-skinned humanoid aliens from the planet Venus who have come to recruit the Dynamic Duo to compete in the Universal Olympics! Batman and Robin are then beamed via a “photonic light ray” to an “atmospherically prepared” asteroid in deep space where tens of thousands of aliens have gathered from all across the universe to compete in the Games. Representing Earth, Batman wins both the rocket sled race event and a target shooting event. The next day, Batman boxes an alien from Jupiter in zero gravity, but gets caught using illegal magnetized gloves. After officials find Batman’s other sports equipment rigged, Batman realizes that his equipment has been tampered with by the vile Plutonians who are rival to the Venusians that brought him to the Games. Batman and Robin run away and try to explain themselves to the Olympic officials a day later to no avail. It’s not long before Batman wears a wire and confronts the Plutonian leaders, getting them to spill the beans about what they’ve done. The Space Police swarm in and arrest them immediately and Batman is exonerated. Rather than continue to compete in the Games, Batman and Robin return home to Earth.

—^[23]

–Batman #121 Part 2
Robin has worked with the Railroad Protection Agency before but never the Railroad Police. Thus, Batman condescendingly takes his sidekick aboard a prison transport for a special mission because “it’s time Robin saw how the Railroad Police operate!” Along the way upstate, Batman and Robin foil several rescue attempts by some gangsters to free passenger Duds Dekker. Then, when a passing circus train jumps the track, releasing a lion from its cage, Batman corrals the beast. When Batman returns to the prison transport, Dekker is gone and a Railroad Detective has been taken hostage. Batman, Robin, and Chief Wilson of the Railroad Police save the detective and bring Dekker to justice.

_______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________

<<<PREVIOUS: YEAR NINETEEN <<< | | | >>>NEXT: YEAR TWENTY-ONE >>>

1. ^[1]COLLIN COLSHER: Remember, Batman is in semi-retirement, so he won’t go on routine patrols and will only go on “special cases” this Bat Year. If you are wondering what that looks like in Batman’s scheduler or if you are keeping count, the Dark Detective will only go on twenty-two cases this Bat Year.↩
2. ^[2]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman #114 Part 3 is non-canon on Earth-2 because it refers to Bruce as a socialite. Bruce stops being a socialite when baby Helena is born. This issue is canon on Earth-1.↩
3. ^[3]COLLIN COLSHER: Detective Comics #249, which originally took place here, is non-canon on Earth-2 because it features Batwoman, who would have already been retired at this point. The issue, of course, is canon on Earth-1.↩
4. ^[4]COLLIN COLSHER: World’s Finest Comics #93, which originally took place here, is non-canon on Earth-2 because it refers to Bruce as a socialite. Bruce gave up the life of a socialite when he turned to political activism after the birth of his daughter Helena. WFC #93, of course, is canon on Earth-1.↩
5. ^[5]COLLIN COLSHER: Superman #128 Part 2, which originally took place here, is non-canon on Earth-2 because, in it, Lois and Clark are not married. Superman #128 Part 2 is canon only on Earth-1.↩
6. ^[6]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman #115 Part 2, which originally took place here, is non-canon on Earth-2. In this part of Batman #115, Batman starts his own private detective agency as part of an elaborate plan to entrap a criminal. Batman tells the public he is starting a detective agency in order to raise money for Robin’s future college education and for his own future retirement. The public lie of saying the agency is to earn money for Robin’s college fund is a totally acceptable fib since the public wouldn’t know that Batman and Robin are already rich, nor would they know that Robin is already in college. However, since the public has been made fully aware of Batman’s semi-retirement, using any trickery that involves saving money for a retirement seems like an odd choice. Even though it might be a bit of a stretch, this issue still seems to violate the DC Super-Stars #17 semi-retirement retcon, no matter how you look at it. This story fits much cleaner on the Earth-1 timeline.↩
7. ^[7]COLLIN COLSHER: Detective Comics #250-251, which originally took place here, are non-canon on Earth-2 because they both refer to Bruce as a socialite. Bruce gave up the life of a socialite when he turned to political activism after the birth of his daughter Helena. Detective Comics #250-251, of course, are canon on Earth-1.↩
8. ^[8]COLLIN COLSHER: Detective Comics #255 originally opened May 1958, but it is non-canon because in it Batman visits police headquarters. Now in semi-retirement, Batman would have no reason to “visit” police HQ. Getting summoned there by Bat-Signal is one thing, but visiting is entirely another. Detective Comics #255 is canon on Earth-1.↩
9. ^[9]COLLIN COLSHER: World’s Finest Comics #94 originally took place here, but is non-canon on Earth-2 because it refers to Bruce as a socialite. This issue is canon on Earth-1.↩
10. ^[10]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman #116 Part 2, which originally took place here, is non-canon because it includes Batwoman, who would already have retired by this point. This issue is, however, canon on Earth-1.↩
11. ^[11]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman #116 Part 3, which originally took place here, is non-canon because its final panel makes slight reference to the fact that Bruce isn’t married. Of course, Bruce is definitely married. Furthermore, while not enough to cancel Batman #116 Part 3 off the Earth-2 timeline alone, it’s worth mentioning that the same concluding panel treats Dick as if he is still a young pre-high school boy.↩
12. ^[12]COLLIN COLSHER: Detective Comics #256 originally took place here, but it is non-canon because in it Bruce finds himself kidnapped by aliens and switches into his Batman costume. Now in semi-retirement, Bruce would no longer wear his costume underneath his civilian clothes, nor would be be carrying it with him regularly. Detective Comics #256 is canon on Earth-1.↩
13. ^[13]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman #117 Part 1, which originally took place here, is non-canon on Earth-2 because it violates Batman’s retconned semi-retirement. In this part of the issue, Batman and Robin are shown going on their routine patrol, which Batman certainly wouldn’t be doing in semi-retirement. Batman #117 Part 1 is canon on Earth-1.↩
14. ^[14]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman #117 Part 2, which originally took place here, is non-canon on Earth-2 because it violates Bruce’s retconned marriage to Selina. In this part of the issue, Bruce and Dick are shown sharing a bedroom, notably and curiously with their dual beds slid together. The delightfully ludicrous concept of Bruce and Dick as gay lovers, which has also been an ostensible interpretation as seen in previous issues, definitely seems to go against the concept of Bruce being married to Selina. Batman #117 Part 2 is canon on Earth-1.↩
15. ^[15]COLLIN COLSHER: World’s Finest Comics #95 originally took place here, but is non-canon on Earth-2 because it makes reference to Batman going on routine patrol. Being now semi-retired, Batman no longer goes on routine patrols. This issue is canon on Earth-1.↩
16. ^[16]COLLIN COLSHER: Action Comics #241 originally took place here, but is non-canon because its narrative revolves heavily around Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. The Fortress of Solitude, thanks to late 1970s retcons, never existed on Earth-2. Action Comics #241 is canon on Earth-1.↩
17. ^[17]COLLIN COLSHER: Detective Comics #257-258 originally took place here, but these issues are non-canon because in them Bruce is referred to as a socialite. Detective Comics #257-258 are canon on Earth-1.↩
18. ^[18]COLLIN COLSHER: Adventure Comics #253, which originally took place here, is non-canon because it depicts Robin time-traveling back to visit a teenage Superboy. Of course, there was no Superboy on Earth-2. This issue is canon on Earth-1.↩
19. ^[19]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman #119 Part 1, which originally took place here, is non-canon because it includes Batwoman, who would already have retired by this point. This issue is, however, canon on Earth-1.↩
20. ^[20]COLLIN COLSHER: World’s Finest Comics #97, which originally took place here, is non-canon on Earth-2 because it violates Batman’s retconned semi-retirement. In this issue, Batman and Robin are shown going on their nightly patrol, which Batman wouldn’t be doing in semi-retirement. WFC #97 is canon on Earth-1.↩
21. ^[21]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman #120 Part 2, which originally took place here, is non-canon because it revolves around Bruce playing the role of rich idler and playboy. Batman #120 Part 2 is canon on Earth-1.↩
22. ^[22]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman #120 Part 3, which originally took place here, is non-canon because it revolves around Batman and Robin going on routine patrol in Gotham. Batman #120 Part 3 is canon on Earth-1.↩
23. ^[23]COLLIN COLSHER: Batman #121 Part 1 originally took place here, but is non-canon on Earth-2 because it refers to Bruce as a socialite. This part of the issue is canon on Earth-1.↩